Well THAT'S Awkward
by the godsister
Summary: Cammie goes on a mission for the CIA. But who's her partner? That's not Zach... NO CRANT/JAMMIE/CRESTON I'M ZAMMIE ALL THE WAY! Set after CMH. T because I'm paranoid.
1. Mission Files

**My One and ONLY Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. Yes, I wish I did. No, I'm not Ally Carter. Yes, I wish I could write as well as she can. No, Zachary Goode and a number of other Blackthorne Boys are NOT at my disposal... But I think they should be :]**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Argh!" I grunted as Bex tackled me to the ground, effectively pinning me to the mat to end P&amp;E for the day. I was just about to head up to my dorm to change when Mr. Moskowitz intercepted me.<p>

"Miss Morgan! Your mother needs to see you in her office immediately." Bex and I shared a confused glance when he prompted, "_Now,_ Cameron. She said you were to go straight to her office, so it looks like you won't be changing back into your uniform, sorry."

I wondered what I could have done to have Mr. Moskowitz sent after me. Even _I've_ never been in so much trouble that a teacher is sent to find me and escort me back to mom's office.

We walked down the Hall of History and just as I was about to knock on the door to my mother's office, Mr. Moskowitz side-stepped me and opened it, ushering me in. I quickly walked over to my mom sitting behind her desk, "Mom, I swear whatever happened I did NOT do it! I couldn't have done it, I've been in class all morning… unless this is about the missing rappel-o-chords, because you know perfectly well that I-" I was cut off by the sound of my Covert Operations teacher chuckling behind me. When did he get here? Was he here this whole time? How did I miss him?... Oh well, back to the matter at hand!

My mom shushed me and told me that I wasn't in trouble, but that she would "talk to me later about those rappel-o-chords I mentioned." I felt a slight blush creep up to my cheeks when Mr. Solomon chimed in, "Miss Morgan, have I taught you nothing?" I looked at him with a confused expression on my face, prompting him to elaborate, "Just promise me you'll never walk into an interrogation _offering up_ information again."

I slapped my hand to my forehead when I realized how ridiculous I sounded a minute ago.

Just then mom spoke up, "Kiddo, sit down, we need to talk." Oh boy. This doesn't sound good. "Honey, don't look so scared!" Mr. Solomon was right, I really need to work on this whole "interrogation" thing!

All of a sudden the meeting was one big blur. Madame Dabney came in and started making my hair more presentable, some lady I didn't know was holding clothes up next to me, putting some into a suitcase, throwing others onto my mother's couch, and Mr. Solomon handed me a manila folder that looked suspiciously like the one holding our covers on the night of the ball.

My mother started speaking at this point, "The CIA has given us intel on an arms dealer who is going to be in Auburn, New York for the next couple of weeks. The mission is supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission, no contact with the target at all. The director thought it would be a good learning experience for a couple of students if they took point on the case, and we've selected you."

"So, basically, what you're saying… is that I'm going to be taking point on an actual CIA mission? It's not going to end up being a test, and by doing my job I will actually affect the outcome of a CIA case." My mother stared at me with an expression that said, "Was I speaking Spanish?" Only that wouldn't have been a good excuse, seeing as I'm fluent in 14 different languages and all. She nodded her head and continued on to tell me that I will be leaving Gallagher as soon as possible.

The random clothes lady I didn't know was all but carrying me out the door of mom's office by the time I cried, "WAIT A SECOND!" Everyone stopped chattering and moving, all just staring at me as if to say, "_WELL?_"

"Okay, I'm going to Auburn. Will I be working with someone? Is there going to be an actual agent from the CIA there in case something happens? Do I get to change? How am I getting to New York? Did this lady just pack clothes for me? Who _is_ this lady? I NEED ANSWERS, PEOPLE!"

The adults started laughing. "You'll be going by helicopter, you'll find everything out on the ride," a smiling Solomon told me.

When I hadn't resumed moving out to the helicopter my mom put and hand on my shoulder and told everyone to meet us at the helicopter, she just needed to cover a few things with me quickly.

"Sweetie, I'm so incredibly proud of you, I know you'll do an amazing job! I don't want you to worry about a thing, though. You have my number you can call me if you ever need anything." She smiled and then seemed to remember something else, "Oh! Here's a phone so you actually can call me," she laughed, "and to answer your questions, that lady works with the CIA, her name is Leslie. You can't change now, we need to get you to Blackthorne as soon as you can, but you _are_ allowed to change once you get there."

Satisfied, I cracked a smile and hugged her. She stepped back, taking my hand so we could walk out the front door together, only to be stopped in our tracks by three very angry sophomores. "You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Bex screeched before grabbing me into a very tight group hug with Liz and Macey.

We each said our goodbyes and I hugged them each one more time, saving my mom for last so I could tell her I love her. Mr. Solomon chose that moment to show up and drag me to the helicopter so we could get in the air. As we were walking, though, I thought I heard my mom ask the girls how they got out of class… It figures they wouldn't ask for permission to see me off.

I sat down and strapped into my seat getting ready for the 3 hour ride to New York.

Mr. Solomon had just given the "okay" for liftoff when I made a realization I should have made ten minutes ago.

With wide eyes I arched an eyebrow, looked at Solomon and simply asked, "Blackthorne?" He chuckled and nodded in confirmation: We were flying to Blackthorne. AND to Blackthorne _Boys_.

"You may want to look over your cover profile; it has some helpful information in it." I took Solomon's advice and opened the thick manila folder to start reading about me. (Huh, that sounds kind of funny, doesn't it?)

**AGENT: **CAMERON ANN MORGAN

**CODENAME: **CHAMELEON

**COVER:** CASSANDRA ANNA MONROE aka CASSIE; CAS

**AGE:** 16

**OCCUPATION: **STUDENT

**SCHOOL:** WINWOOD ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE

**TOWN:** FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

**STATUS: **IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH _GREGORY NEWMAN_

**REASON FOR VISIT: **VISITING BOYFRIEND OVER SPRING BREAK

"Mr. Solomon?" I inquired, "We don't have spring break at Gallagher… Or Blackthorne for that matter."

He explained that since it was around the time when most schools are off on spring break, my cover would also be on spring break. The people in Auburn believed that some students at Blackthorne lived at school year-round, and it would be the only way I could visit my boyfriend.

I looked through the other items in the folder, including: a school id, two hundred dollars to spend on food and anything related to the mission (there was a note attached saying that the CIA took note of the serial numbers on the money, so they would know if I spent it anywhere else), and files on the other agents involved with the mission.

I looked hopefully at the last little stack of papers, hoping it would tell me who I was working with.

**AGENT: **GRANT

**CODENAME: **DREAMER

**COVER:** GREGORY JAMES NEWMAN

**AGE:** 17

**OCCUPATION: **STUDENT

**SCHOOL:** BLACKTHORNE INSTITUTE FOR BOYS

**TOWN:** AUBURN, NY

**STATUS: **IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH _CASSANDRA MONROE_

**REASON FOR VISIT: **SPENDING TIME WITH GIRLFRIEND OVER SPRING BREAK

My heart fell. I had to be Grant's girlfriend? Don't get me wrong, Grant is awesome! But I still saw quite a few issues with this: 1. Bex liked him! How could I pretend to be in love with the person my best friend was _actually_ in love with? That's just not right! 2. I had been secretly hoping it would be Zach. 3. If Bex ever finds out I will die. Literally. 4. I really wanted it to be Zach.

Mr. Solomon obviously knew what was going through my head, because he started talking to me. "Cammie," whoa. Mr. Solomon only calls me Cammie when he's about to get all godfathery on me, "In the world of spies, you won't always get to work with the person you want to. You may even end up with someone you _don't_ want to work with, but as a CIA operative, you have to get used to it. You were picked because you have an amazing talent as a pavement artist, but also because you make the most out of any situation, which is a skill many have to work very hard at." He wrapped an arm around me at this point and pulled me in for a hug (I know. THE Joe Solomon hugged me. It doesn't happen every day, but he _is_ my godfather, so I guess I'm allowed to see the softer side of him.)

"Okay," I whispered in reply. If he said it, it had to be for a good reason.

I looked at the next page of information, and I was shocked. I stared at the paper for a good minute before the contents actually sunk in.

**OPERATION: **CABBAGE PATCH

**STUDENT OPERATIVE AGENTS: **CAMERON "CHAMELEON" MORGAN, GRANT "DREAMER"

**CIA MISSION HANDLERS: **ABIGAIL "IMPUSE" CAMERON, JOE "CHARMER" SOLOMON

**CIA TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: **RACHEL MORGAN

**OBJECTIVE: **RECONNAISSANCE: TRACK SUBJECT _DIMITRI MOLDOV_ IN ORDER TO DETERMINE CONTACTS, POSSIBLE PARTNERS, AND POSSIBLE BUYERS. IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, SET UP EYES AND EARS IN SUBJECT'S RESIDENCE WITH PERMISSION FROM HANDERS. DO NOT CONTACT SUBJECT. THERE ARE TO BE NO VERBAL OR PHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS.

Shocked at first, a wave of relief quickly washed over me as I voiced my feelings. I could feel the smile as I said, "You're coming, too?"

He scoffed. "You think I would let my goddaughter go into her first actual CIA sanctioned mission and not be there to keep her safe? I'm offended!" We laughed together; we both knew that it took a whole helluva lot more than that to actually offend Joe Solomon.

"So you and Aunt Abby and Mom are all on the mission? That's awesome! But I have more questions! Where am I staying? Do I have to stay there alone? How long am I staying? How am I supposed to keep up with my schoolwork? Do we get comms? Do I-" Rambling. I always ramble when I get excited. Of course I was cut off by Mr. Solomon clamping a hand over my mouth, not-so-politely telling me to "put a sock in it."

"You _REALLY_ need to work on the rambling!" As a teenage girl, it was my duty at that point to pout at his comment. "So let's see…" He feigned like he actually had to think about what I said, almost as if he _didn't_ have a photographic memory and could quote my ramble verbatim. "Yes, we requested to be on this mission for obvious reasons. You'll be staying with Abby at her apartment for the first week and on weekends, but other than that you'll be at Blackthorne."

The look I gave him must have been a mix of surprise, excitement and terror, because he stopped to elaborate rather than just giving me more information. "You have to keep up with classes, so it would make sense for you to take them at Blackthorne." I gave a little "uh-huh" for him to continue his elaboration. "For appearances, though, you need to seem like you're on spring break, so for the first week you'll stay at Abby's and you won't go to class so you can be out during the day. It'll be three or four weeks that you're here-"

"WOW!" I practically screeched. "That's a really long time to be here."

He thought for a moment, mulling over the length of time. Mr. Solomon chose his words carefully, "This is an actual, planned-out CIA mission, so it will be longer than the other ones back at Gallagher. And just so you know, reconnaissance missions tend to take about a month to complete on a normal basis."

A tiny, "Oh," was all I could muster in response.

"You'll both be given selected days where you won't go to class, also to keep up with your covers. You can stay with Abby on those days, too, if you want to."

"Well, I guess it's not so bad." I considered it for a minute, and then grasped something. "Will I get to video chat with the girls?" If he said no, SOMEONE was going to have the Sukahara Maneuver "practiced" all over them…

"At Blackthorne on their encrypted computers."

I let out an audible "whew" and allowed him to continue. "Now, I PROMISE, anything else you'll need to know you'll find out when we get to Blackthorne, okay?" I eyed him cautiously, and finally nodded. I trusted the man with my life, so obviously I trusted that he wasn't lying to me.

Our lovely chat ate up about an hour of the ride, so I took the opportunity to take a quick nap before arriving at Blackthorne. (Okay, MAYBE I wanted to be rested for seeing the boys.) (_OKAY!_ JUST MAYBE it's one Blackthorne Boy in particular!)

With that I fell asleep on my godfather's shoulder in sleepy anticipation of my arrival in Auburn, New York.

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><p><strong>Okay, you know the drill! There's a little button down there, and you must kill it! Kill it with your clicks! The only way for it to actually die is for you to write a review! Doit. Por favor y gracias.<strong>

**I know I still have P&E Exam to work on, but right now this is muddling up my brain. So at this point, until I finish this, nothing else is happening. (That is... if you WANT me to finish. I won't know if you don't tell me!)**

**Please enjoy this, but I'm warning you now, I will probably end up updating every two weeks or so. (But who knows. With some very convincing reviews, I could feel so inspired to pump something out for you ;])**

**And before I finish my obnoxiously long-ass author's note, I'm just gonna tell you that I'm gonna try to not put up obnoxiously long author's notes anymore (hehehe).**

**LOVEYOUALL!**

**happily, the godsister**


	2. A Beautiful View

**This chapter is dedicated to Who'sThatChick :]**

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><p><strong>GRANT'S POV<strong>

"Argh!" I grunted as Zach tackled me to the ground, ALMOST effectively pinning me to the mat to end P&E for the day. Of course, I couldn't let him win that easily, so I managed to flip him back over only to struggle for a minute before getting pinned for _real_ this time.

"Alright! Newman, Dr. Steve's office, now!" Coach Dean (aka the DRILL SERGEANT who haunts my nightmares) shouted.

Laughing, Zach pulled me up and asked, "What'd you do this time, genius?"

I honestly had no clue. I avoided going to the headmaster's office like it was my job. I mean, you can only hear the word "excellent" so many times before you need to barf. I also avoided getting in trouble as best I could (with Zach as your best friend, that's no easy feat when you're constantly left standing alone when something bad happens). I realize I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm fully aware of what happens when you get in trouble at Blackthorne: it _is_ supposed to be a boarding school for troubled teenage boys, after all.

"I don't know!" I all but squeaked in reply.

"NEWMAN!" Coach barked. Holy. Shit. He was serious. This was serious.

"Coming, Sir!" I hollered and jogged after him, for he had started to leave without me.

I noticed that Zach was following us, and apparently so did the coach because the next thing out of his mouth was, "Goode! I didn't ask you to accompany us to the headmaster's office. Continue on to your next class!" He paused for a moment and pondered what he said before adding, "Ah, Jesus… What the hell, you'll know about it sooner than later, anyway. Come on!" He resigned, allowing my best friend to join me in my own little version of Hell.

Zach picked up his pace to catch up to me and hissed, "Dude, seriously, _what did you do?_ This sounds serious!"

"I'm fully aware of how serious this sounds!" I whisper-yelled back, "And I told you before, I didn't do anything! At least, nothing I can remember…" I though back to the time where Zach and Jonas tried out a sleepwalking serum on me and I woke up in the middle drawing a British flag on the wall of Dr. Steve's office. The only excuse they could come up with was that my subconscious "intrigued" them. They're wonderful, aren't they?

Winding around the corridors of Blackthorne, we approached Dr. Steve's office, and as we did, we could hear who was talking in the office.

Zach and I looked at each other for a moment before he smirked. What did we hear? The realization dawned in both of eyes.

Together we confirmed, "Gallagher girls."

**CAMMIE'S POV**

I was waiting for Grant to arrive with Aunt Abby and Solomon in Dr. Steve's office when we heard the footsteps of three people. My head shot up, questioning who the third party was. Dr. Steve was only expecting Coach Dean and Grant…

Abby started to laugh with the headmaster while Solomon shook his head and clued me in, "We really shouldn't have expected anything less from-"

"Zach," I finished for him.

After finding out that I was supposed to be Grant's girlfriend for the next month, I had been secretly hoping that I wouldn't have to see Zach. I figured, if I didn't have to see him, it would be easier to pretend that I was in love with Grant and not him. Although, on the other hand, I desperately wanted to see him again. I just admitted to you that I was in love with the boy, it's natural that I should want to see him. Right? Not that anything I just said matters, I'm going to be seeing him in about thirteen seconds anyway, so I might as well get over myself.

Exactly thirteen seconds later (and you thought I was joking!) Grant walked through the door, followed closely by Zach and that pain-in-the-ass smirk that he always wore. (OKAY! Completely adorable smirk that kinda makes my heart melt.)

Zach's expression was steady, but as soon as Grant saw me his smile turned into a mask of confusion. It was almost as if he either wished I was someone else, or that someone else would have been with me.

"Oh, you're here. Excellent, excellent! Well take a seat, boys! We have to get this meeting done quickly, Ms. Morgan has places to be!" Dr. Steve was a little too chipper, in my opinion. But, wait- where do I have to be?

As Grant and Zach turned to sit, I could swear I saw a hint of confusion in Zach's eyes. Finally, the mask fails!

**ZACH'S POV**

We walked into the office to see Dr. Steve with Joe Solomon, Abby Cameron, and Cammie Morgan. When I heard girls, I thought maybe it was a bunch of girls for an exchange. I was absolutely not expecting to see Cammie without her posse. I'll admit that I was definitely shocked, but I wouldn't let anyone know that. I just kept my smirk plastered to my face.

Dr. Steve told us to sit down when I felt like something was off. Grant was called here, not me. Cammie was here, but not Bex. What's going on?

**CAMMIE'S POV**

It took us an hour to go over all the plan details with everyone, and by the end of it I was ready to barf. I didn't think it was possible for someone to say "excellent" so many times in one conversation, but Dr. Steve is an impressive man.

"Any questions?" Dr. Steve looked at us, almost as if saying, "I swear to God, if you have a fucking question, I will kill you with the post-it notes sitting on my desk."

I smiled and graciously said no, recalling Madame Dabney's training back at Gallagher.

He said "excellent" a few more times before rushing out of his office to go attend to "something in the chem labs," I believe is what he said.

Abby sprang up, "I have to go finish your room, squirt! I'll see you later, okay? Joe will drop you off. Bye, boys! Bye, Hun!" She dashed out of the room. Sometimes I feel like her codename "Impulse" was a little _too_ fitting. And who did she mean by "Hun?" She's never called me that before, unless…. Was she talking to Mr. Solomon? That's only a little REALLY weird.

"Mr. Solomon," Grant started. Obviously we could both sense that Dr. Steve didn't want to answer questions, "why are the covers like, nothing?"

Hey, that was a good question! "Yeah, why are the covers so bare bones? We usually have interests, talents and other stuff like that."

"This is an actual CIA mission. The covers need to seem as natural as they can when you're living them out, so we're leaving it _mostly_ up to you what you do with them." He looked at his watch and then to Zach, "Alright, we should get going. Grant, you and Miss Morgan can have some time to discuss the mission and plan anything you need to. Let's go, Mr. Goode."

Mr. Solomon then left. He didn't say, "Goodbye," he didn't say, "Hey, I'll see you by the plaque out front in an hour," he just left. Zach bro-hugged Grant in a goodbye and walked up to me. He smirked, "Gallagher Girl." I scowled up at him and he bent down and kissed me. Yes! He kissed me! It wasn't long, but it was enough to say, "You're still mine," which was nice and it made me a little woozy- in a good way (on the inside).

"You kids have fun now," he finished with a wink in my direction before leaving the office, no doubt to follow Solomon.

I can't believe he just winked at me.

And he called me a kid.

After kissing me.

That boy is dead. Deader than dead. Just wait until I tell Bex. She will eat him for breakfast! Oooh, and Macey! She won't let Bex have all the fun.

My plotting was interrupted by Grant.

"So…" he trailed off. Neither of us really knew what to do.

"We should talk, but the place is probably bugged, so we should probably get out of here," I concluded. There was no use trying to sweep the room, I didn't doubt that it would take us all night to find half of the bugs in there.

"Okay, well… why don't we go for a walk then." Not a bad idea, I have to admit.

"Sure," I agreed.

After getting permission to leave campus, Grant and I walked along one of his favorite hiking trails (I never knew he was much of an outdoorsman) by Blackthorne. Being in the middle of a mountain range, Blackthorne was in the perfect spot to be hidden from view while hiking, even though it was only a mile away.

We reached the clearing at a cliff edge overlooking a huge lake and my breath was literally taken away. "Grant, this is beautiful!" I gushed. All of the summers I spent in Nebraska with my grandparents gave me an appreciation for a nice view.

I walked straight to the edge and sat down, dangling my legs off the side; Grant followed suit a comfortable, but not awkward distance away.

As the high of this breathtaking view quickly died, my face fell. "This is crazy," we both said at the same time. I cracked up and so did he.

"Well, as long as we're on the same page!" I laughed some more.

Eventually our laughing ceased and we started actually talking about the mission that we would be living for the next month. Our biggest, most definite agreement was that we didn't want it to get awkward. Anything could happen, but at the end of the day, we were still friends and the slate would be wiped clean. It may sound silly to you, but without saying it out loud, we both knew that we didn't want to screw up with "other people" (I'm hoping you realize who I'm talking about, it's not exactly a secret).

"Well, why don't we plan some fun activities for the week? You know Auburn better than I do, any suggestions? I mean, we have to follow Moldov and all, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun, too!" I was trying to make this whole thing as un-awkward as I could. I guess he was in the same boat.

"Sounds like a good idea. There's the movie theater in town- although it never plays anything worth seeing- and a mall… they gave _you_ two hundred dollars, too, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows as to imply that the CIA would ACTUALLY let me spend their money at the mall. _Well… if the cover calls for it…_

"And obviously there's hiking and, my favorite, kayaking."

My eyes grew wide, "I love kayaking!" This mission won't be so bad, I have good company and a great view. And the mountains look pretty nice, too. (Hah, see what I did there? Ohh God, I'm pathetic.) "I think that should be first on the list! Okay, maybe after a mall trip. But this is all in case Moldov is boring."

He laughed, agreeing with me, saying, "Sounds good, but can our first stop be Victoria's Secret?" I hit him. "Damn, just because you're a Gallagher Girl doesn't mean you can hit me. That hurt!"

I mockingly apologized to him; there was no way I was actually sorry I hit him.

At that point we decided that we had been there long enough and that Solomon was probably ready to go, so we started our descent down the mountain back to Blackthorne.

**ZACH'S POV**

Not. Fucking. Fair.

Why did fucking Grant get to fucking do the fucking assignment with Cammie? I have more common sense than that fucking asshole, I can fight better, I get better grades… THERE'S NO FUCKING RATIONAL REASON WHY HE FUCKING GOT CHOSEN OVER ME!

And anyway, that dope was head over heels for his "British Bombshell." There's no way he wanted to work with her anyway. And besides, I want to work with Cammie! Not that I would ever actually admit it. To anyone. Ever. At all. Seriously, over my dead body (which I am _fully_ aware can be arranged for me).

There's no way I, Zachary Goode, am going down without a fight. How is this fight going to work, you ask. Simple: I just have to find…

"Dr. Steve!" I called out to my headmaster. If anyone was going to be able to get me some action, it was him. (Okay, not like that, jeez!)

(Hmm, although, it could lead to that…)

"Oh, excellent, Mr. Goode. How is everything going? Uh- was there something I could do for you, Zachary?"

"Actually, Dr. Steve, there _is_ something you can do for me…" In a typical me fashion, I trailed off at the end of my statement and smirked at the pudgy man. Although, it was smirk, or break down crying.

Why cry? I was about to do something that no self-respecting Blackthorne Boy would ever do, even if his life depended on it. But, I was already at the point of no turning back. This was a very dangerous mission I was about to embark on, and if I didn't dive in head first, I would probably stop right now before I could forever taint the Goode nam- uh, before I could ever taint _my_ name. I was resolved. I had to do it. I was going to do it.

What (other than basically end my life) was I going to do?

I, Zachary Goode, was going to beg.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you liked it! Thank you all so much for your reviews! Don't forget to review this chapter, too!<strong>

**And, yes, I know my "two weeks" somehow became "two days" but I finished quicker than I expected. But don't think it'll happen again!**

**happily, the godsister**


	3. An Excellent Dinner

When Grant and I had gotten back to Blackthorne, Solomon had every intention of taking me back to Abby's place. But _apparently_ dinner was this huge deal at Blackthorne, because Solomon complied almost immediately when invited to stay by Dr. Steve. Normally, I would have no problem with being fed. After all, I'm a Gallagher Girl, and we Gallagher Girls love food! Of course, my circumstances were not what they would usually be. Shall I explain? As you should know, I was in P&E when I got summoned to Blackthorne, and I wasn't allowed to change before leaving Gallagher. I was assured by many people that I could change once I got here, **but lo and behold**, my bags were taken straight to Aunt Abby's apartment , so it turns out that I was stuck in my workout clothes. At Blackthorne.

I know, it still doesn't sound too incredibly life-threatening to you, but my morning went a little something like this:

"_Cammieee!" Macey groaned at me. All week she had been lobbying for me to wear something cute to P&E. Something other than what I usually wore… ANYTHING other than my usual baggy t-shirt and oversized-yet-comfy shorts._

"_No! No, I will absolutely **not** wear that to work out in!" I shouted back at her._

"Come ON!_ Why won't you wear it? You have no reason not to look your very best every single day of your life!" Her argument was a fair one, but she was barking up the wrong tree with me. Personally, I see no reason why I should get all dressed up just to go spar with Bex, roll around in the dirt, and get covered in sweat, especially when it was a normal occurrence in my life. And I told her just that. I also mentioned that I wouldn't want to wear it even _if_ there was someone to impress, because it would be more than likely that there would be other somebodies with that someone, and me being inappropriately dressed in front of a bunch of somebodies would draw unwarranted attention to myself. I also took careful time to explain to her what it meant to be a Pavement Artist._

_All she said was, "Okay… but I hid your other clothes and if you don't choose these, you're going to be late to P&E."_

_Smiling, she skipped off to P&E._

Now do you understand my predicament? I was stranded at Blackthorne in black soffe shorts (very short ones, picked out lovingly by Miss McHenry), a hot pink sports bra which was completely visible beneath the skin-tight, white tank top I managed to grab, and sneakers.

Can anyone say "screw me?" (Just not out loud! Here, I don't doubt that someone would try to.)

That's all just part one of the predicament, of course. Part two was the fact that I was on my way to sit with Grant and Zach at dinner and they sat at the end of the dining hall. In other words, I would have to walk through the entire room to get to the table.

I don't know if any of you have ever been the only girl in an all-guys high school (surrounded by guys who go for months on end without seeing a girl), going to dinner in VERY inappropriate clothing… but as I followed Grant and Zach to the table I heard forks drop, conversations end, and many people ask, "Who's that chick?" and, "What is she doing here?" I also heard Zach mutter a few not-so-nice phrases in Swahili mentioning snapping necks and possibly using the Yurchenko Maneuver on someone (although it's illegal in all fifty states, Jamaica, and Italy.)

I quickened my gait, passing around the boys so I could get to and hide in the corner that much quicker. I'm a chameleon; I definitely do NOT enjoy being the center of attention, ESPECIALLY among hundreds of teenage, testosterone-filled boys. Although, apparently I had no effect _whatsoever_ on Zachary. The boy who kisses me and winks at me but is completely unfazed by my lack of appropriate clothing. Who does he think he is?

I skirted past a couple of gaping eighth graders on my way to the table, and I dodged an arm as someone tried to stop me, no doubt to start an incredibly awkward conversation. I eventually got to the table, and the first thing I saw was the back of someone's head. This person had a buzz cut and black hair, with his nose in a book… Jonas! He obviously heard my approach because he turned around and his face lit up. The lanky boy stood up and gave me hug to say hello.

"Cammie," he breathed, "How are you? W- What are you doing here?" He looked excited to see me at first, quickly letting his expression fall into one of confusion.

I guess it wasn't widespread news that I was here… or at least, _why_ I was here. I sat down and explained the whole thing to Jonas, whose expressions were quite amusing to watch, especially when I told him that I _wasn't_ supposed to be playing Zach's girlfriend.

We were about to get our dinner when Dr. Steve walked in. As I said, dinner's apparently a big deal, so we all stood up until he gave his little spiel and granted us permission to sit down. It sounds crazy, I know, but Blackthorne's cover is that of a boarding school for troubled teenage boys… It was basically juvie in high school form. Honestly, some aspects scared me, but the boys weren't _actually_ hardened criminals (although I wouldn't mind if a few of them got taken away right now) so I didn't dwell on that fact.

I thought we were good to go once we sat down, but as soon as I opened my mouth to say so Zach's hand clamped down over my mouth, and almost the entire table shushed me. Dr. Steve started to speak again.

"Men, I'd like you to welcome our two guests at our meal tonight. It's quite excellent that they're here! First, is an excellent teacher at the Gallagher Academy, an even more excellent field agent and a graduate of our fine institution: Joe Solomon!" He turned to Mr. Solomon and motioned for him to stand. The room broke out in a loud applause. "Oh, excellent!" Dr. Steve mused.

Once the applause died down Mr. Solomon took his seat again and Dr. Steve continued on, "Our other guest is an excellent agent and a rather extraordinary student at the Gallagher Academy. She shows excellent potential, and along with one of our own, she is participating in an actual CIA operation. It brings me great pleasure to introduce you to the most excellent, Cameron Morgan!" And thus it began.

Torture.

As a Pavement Artist, I am very happy blending in. That's why I'm called the Chameleon! But in that moment, Dr. Steve thrust me into the spotlight of hundreds of hormone crazed teenage boys filled with testosterone and other dangerous things. Did I mention that I was the ONLY girl in the entire school? A roar of thunderous applause filled the room, twice as loud as Mr. Solomon's. "Cameron, do stand up!" Dr. Steve urged me. Begrudgingly, I stood, unaware of what was going to happen next: catcalls and whistles and "dayummm!" was all I could hear. Normally, I would ignore it. But, I'm sure I've made you completely aware of the fact that today was not a normal day, so normal reactions are out of this realm of possibilities.

I could feel the heat rising in my face, and I could imagine that my cheeks were bright pink- red, even- flushed with the embarrassment of having to endure the catcalls and whistles and shouts of "dayummm!"

I'm pretty sure the look on my face was one of mortification because the looks Mr. Solomon, Dr. Steve, Grant, Jonas, and Zach gave to the other guys in the room was one I would NOT want to be on the receiving end of, _especially_ if Dr. Fibs finally finished his damn "if looks could kill" glasses.

I quickly retreated to my seat and tried to compose myself so I could maybe enjoy whatever I was about to eat (and maybe not end up throwing it up later). I guess my quest to calm down wasn't going so well because Zach slid a hand onto my thigh, but not in an "I wanna do you" way… it was reassuring and more of an "I'm here for you." I looked up at him and instead of smirking he smiled at me. I took a deep breath, finally composed, and smiled sheepishly back. The heartwarming moment only lasted for exactly that- one moment- because Zach with his huge head seamlessly shifted his smile into a smirk, throwing in an eyebrow wiggle. That boy was just lucky I hadn't picked up a knife yet. I settled for punching him in the arm before rising to go get my dinner.

Dinner at Blackthorne was chicken parmesan with spaghetti and a salad (with an unknown but very yummy dressing). I won't deny that the food was good, but it was really nothing compared to the food that Chef Louis prepared back at Gallagher. Now, why am I telling you all of this?

I'm telling you this, because in the middle of dinner the boy sitting to my left (whose name I didn't know, nor did I care to find out) asked me, "So, how do you like the food?" He sounded very cocky (cockier than Zach) and was trying way too hard to flirt with me.

I turned to him slowly, swallowed the food in my mouth and said simply, "It's nice." I turned back to Jonas who had been telling me about the code he was working on for the CIA's newest firewall. I was about to tell him how Liz was working on a code for that, too, when Mr. Full Of Himself scoffed, "Nice? Oh and you've had better?"

I turned on him again, but not wanting to disappoint Madame Dabney, I kept my cool when I responded curtly, "Yes, I have."

But the stupid boy couldn't leave well-enough alone and pushed, "Oh yeah? Please enlighten me: Where have you found better food?" I shared a silent laugh with the three boys, who knew exactly what I was talking about, before I told him about Chef Louis and how he had worked at the White House before coming to Gallagher to cook us three five-star meals a day, including the best desserts that can be found in the entire state of Virginia, possibly even the entire east coast.

And do you think I was going to leave it at that? HELL NO! "And _for your information _you can stop flirting with me right now! I will tell you that I am NOT interested in someone as cocky and bigheaded as you. So PLEASE let me eat my dinner in peace. Thank. You."

When I turned back to the guys they all looked like they were about to crack up.

And then they did crack up.

Grant reached across the table to shake my hand, and Jonas proclaimed that I was his hero.

And Zach nudged my shoulder.

I swear, this boy is driving me crazy! One minute he's all kissy, the next he's winky, and now he's nudgey? What is this load of bull crap? If I wanted a boy who would drive me crazy, I would have just stuck with Mr. Annoying! Seriously!

At least I'm not the only one who finds him to be annoying... a couple of other guys got up to congratulate me.

As everyone was getting up to leave the dining hall, Mr. Solomon meandered over to the table. Addressing me, he said that we'd be leaving in an hour (jeez, wasn't it late enough?) he just needed to settle some things with Dr. Steve. He also hinted that the guys should show me around Blackthorne. Okay, hint would be an understatement. He literally spelled it out for them, "And wouldn't it be great if three of your friends from the exchange at Gallagher could show you around Blackthorne? That seems like such a nice thing to do, considering you showed them around your school. Alright then, I'll see you in an hour." He strode out of the room leaving me with Grant, Jonas, and the perpetual Pain in my Ass.

"Where to first?" Grant asked me. I realized that if I didn't jump on this opportunity now, I wouldn't get to talk to the girls for another week! "Can we use a computer? I want to video chat with the girls," I told them. They complied… not that I would have given them much of a choice other than to say yes, but they sensed the urgency in my tone. And I'm _pretty sure _that they may have wanted in on this video chat, too.

Thinking above and beyond (who knew a guy could do that?) they decided to give me a brief tour on the way to their room. Jonas had let me know that each dorm had a laptop which was the only kind of computer with a webcam in the school, even though every piece of technology they had in the school was state-of-the-art.

We passed through two halls with classrooms that were solely for seventh and eighth graders on our way to the staircase that led to the rooms. Because of the cover, Blackthorne was designed very much like a detention center: not a lot of decoration or color, everything was tile or cement, and everything was locked tight (although, I'm totally okay with this).

The stairway echoed with each step we took as we ascended to the floor which held their dorm. Luckily, their dorm was only on the third floor, and we were all in excellent shape.

My abbreviated tour was really nothing spectacular. They didn't have a sword that had once belonged to the founder of the school. There was no tapestry that held the family tree of the school's founder. The school's main staircase was hidden away in a corner, so there was no "grand staircase" to descend in the event of a ball.

The dorms on the third floor, though, were not like the rest of the school at all. The first floor containing dorms was the one that visitors got to see and was the one where first year students got to stay. Once you were out of the scrutiny of strangers, the dorms became something resembling a normal boarding school dorm.

The hallway was carpeted with a gold rug, the walls were a forest-y green, and it looked like people actually lived there.

I had a feeling that I would be staying on this floor when I started classes. How did I know? Jonas told me that the dorm at the end of the hall was the only room that was unoccupied, and only contained a single bed. That, and the entire school was threatened (probably with their lives) if they disturbed the tenant of that room as soon as there _was_ a tenant in that room.

This revelation also told me that the boys didn't know I would be taking classes there. I could have told them, but what's life without a few surprises? Especially when you're life is that of a spy-in-training!

Their dorm was almost at the end of the hall; only about three doors down from the "mysteriously" unoccupied room. As soon as Grant opened the door they invited me in (aw, gentlemanly).

If you recall what their dorms were like when they stayed at Gallagher, you'd know that the order and lack of personality was eerie. But here, it looked like a bunch of teenage boys lived there.

Okay, not exactly: the beds were made, there weren't boxers hanging off of the lamp, and it was generally clean. But they had books piled next to a bed (I'm guessing Jonas's) and touches of personality here and there. A picture of someone's parents (obviously not Zach's) was on the desk along with a computer and a stack of books and magazines. (I'm not going NEAR those magazines!)

Jonas got the computer started up, and then offered it up to me. I passed through a firewall or two and got into Gallagher's database when I thought of somthing: discussing boys and dissecting Zach's behavior was going to be quite difficult in the company of Zach... and other boys. Oh well! I guess it'll have to wait!

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><p><strong>Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!<strong>

**Now, I am going to _suggest_ that you guys review this... but, of course, I can't make you... I can only PROMISE to withold any further updates until I feel loved by EVERYONE (this is my shoutout to loyal reviewers!).**

**I'll just point out that, in this case, love comes in the form of clicking that irritable little button down there and reviewing :)**

**happily, the godsister**


	4. One Extremely Close Call

**CAMMIE'S POV**

Grant and I were holding hands and walking down the street looking like the love-sick couple that we were. We whispered sweet nothings to each other and joked about everything under the sun. We spent the day walking around Downtown Auburn and window shopping on Main Street. (Does _every_ town have a Main Street?) Occasionally our window shopping would turn into actual shopping when Grant insisted on buying me something he said "looked perfect and would look even more amazing and perfect" on me. We were the epitome of pure bliss.

Okay, so that's what it may have looked like to an outsider.

In reality, Grant and I were employing most of our training to follow Moldov all day without getting caught. That's why, when Moldov turned around, we kept going. Of course that's when I "remembered" that we only went one side of the street and had to turn around and go the other way. Our whispered "sweet nothings" were, for the most part, observations about Moldov and the town, and theories on what was happening with the mission. I was also able to thank our mission budget for my new clothes. That was all until I remembered our video chat with the girls last night. Now, I use the term "our video chat" very loosely, because Grant and Zach left to talk with each other after five minutes. (Yes, Grant ditched out on precious face time with his beloved "British Bombshell." Yes, it worried me too.)

I leaned in to Grant and whispered lovingly in his ear the way any real girlfriend would, "So, what _were_ you and Zach talking about last night, sweetie? I never did get to say goodbye to you properly." I wasn't lying; I didn't see either of them again before leaving with Solomon to go back to Aunt Abby's place. Strange, right?

"Don't worry about it, babe. It was just… guy stuff. You wouldn't be interested, I promise," he whispered back, just as lovingly. He winked trying to end the discussion.

_Don't worry about it? _Doesn't he know that's code for "worry about it?" Silly boy.

I giggled and cutely reminded him, "You know I'm not going to let it drop that easily. I _am_ a… 'Winwood' girl, after all."

Neither of us could keep a straight face and broke down hysterically laughing. "Winwood girl?" Who was I kidding, that sounded terrible- ridiculous even!

Just then I got a call on my cell phone.

Grant and I immediately deadpanned. Only five people have that number. Grant, Mom, Solomon, Abby, and the director of the CIA. We looked at each other for another moment before checking the caller ID. The phone read "Uncle John," and I assumed that was supposed to be Solomon's contact. Oh God. What is he about to tell us?

I answered in an overly cheery voice, "Uncle John?!"

The voice on the other end sounded worn out as it chuckled, "Is that really how they put me in your phone?"

"Oh, I'm having an amazing time with Greg!" Answer positively to confirm a question (something the man taught me himself).

"Nice. I'm going to have to have a little talk with Langley about this 'John' crap. I'm sick of it." Touchy. I guess the whole "John" thing irritated him.

"I'll be sure to tell him! How's the cabbage patch doing, anyway?" By directly referring to Operation Cabbage Patch, he knows that I'm asking what he's calling to tell us.

"No time for pleasantries, I see," he huffed.

This man drives me crazy! Get to the point alrea- "Well, we learned that Moldov is going to be at the spa for the rest of the day- don't ask, I don't pretend to understand the Russians. We already have an agent inside the day spa to keep an eye on him, so we need you to run over to the hotel where he's staying. There's going to be a meeting there tomorrow, and he's attending. It's in the ballroom and we think you may be able to gather some intel before the meeting if you snoop around." I couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of more work to do.

"Are you for real, Uncle John?! That's awesome! I'm so happy for you, that must be really exciting."

He laughed at me, "Remind me to let you do my dirty work from now on."

"Okay, Uncle John. I'll see you later, I love you!"

"Love you too, Cam. We'll be in touch."

Uh…

Did THE Joe Solomon just tell me he loves me? I mean, I kinda already knew it, but aside from Mom, Abby, my grandparents, and the girls, no one told me they loved me. I know I said it to him first, but still! That is not a word he throws around lightly.

Before I could cause a scene, I unfroze my face and peeled the cell phone away from my cheek. I turned to look at Grant, putting on a face that said something other than, "Uhh.. eh.. erm… ahhh…" You get it.

"**Baby**, are those bags getting _too_ _heavy to carry_? Maybe we should take them back home and then get a little privacy while we're at it…" I said each world slowly and seductively, tipping Grant off that we had work to do for the mission.

"Yeah, I guess they are getting pretty heavy… It's probably best if we get rid of them or something."

We dropped our things (and by "our things" I mean the things HE bought ME with the CIA's money) at Abby's, and grabbed comms units out of her wall safe. (When Solomon told me we'd be in touch, he was really telling me to make sure we had comms units before proceeded with anything.) (And, of course Abby has a wall safe- she's a spy, duh!)

We activated our comms units and put them in our ears.

"Come in Chameleon and Dreamer. Can you hear me alright?" I heard Solomon like he was in my head (which, I guess he kinda was).

"This is Chameleon. I can hear you loud and clear, Charmer."

"Dreamer here, sir. You are coming in loud and clear, Charmer. Over."

Solomon and I both sighed, and I could practically hear him face-palm through the comms unit. "Cam…" He said, the only invitation I needed to whack Grant upside the head.

Grant shot me a hurt look that also told me he knew he was being a complete goober.

"Alright agents, you need to go over to the local Marriott. The ballroom is supposed to be completely set up for the meeting tomorrow. You should be able to pick the lock on the back entrance of the ballroom from outside the hotel and then roam around freely. Report whatever you find, Cam, your necklace can take pictures of anything you need it to." A necklace that takes pictures? It reminds me of Madame Dabney's broche she went around with before the ball last year. "Remember, the hotel will have workers and residents everywhere, it's open and in full swing. We don't have eyes in there yet, so be careful not to get caught."

"Yes sir!" We said in unison. It's safe to say that we were both really excited to take on more duties of an actual mission. With that we left the apartment and meandered over to the Marriott, hungry for blood. (Okay, not really. But we were totally in the zone!)

**SOLOMON'S POV**

"Are you sure about this? It _is_ an actual mission. To test them like that could put them in danger, or, at the very least, really psych them out," Rachel asked/nagged. She's an amazing agent and teacher, but right now she's thinking like a mother who doesn't want to hurt her daughter's feelings.

"Rachel, we wouldn't do it if we didn't think we could control the situation. We'll wipe the hotel worker's memory afterwards, he won't remember ever finding the kids. We'll just watch him long enough to see if he actually believes whatever they can come up with."

"Okay, you're right. Just be careful."

"I always am. Talk to you soon." With that I ended my call with her, and got on the phone with an old friend from Langley who was stationed in Auburn for the year.

"Hey Bob! I need a favor. In about twenty minutes, can you just tell the manager of the Auburn Marriott that you saw two kids sneak into the ballroom?"

After a pause I heard, "Joe, do you really need to torture your students to teach them? We turned out just fine."

"I'll be over in the corner of the lounge if you run into any problems. You're welcome, _again_, for answering that SOS is Kiev two years ago…"

"Jackass," and with that Bob hung up on me. Did I feel bad? I would if it wasn't what could set Cammie and Grant apart from other future agents. This training was once in a lifetime, and I wouldn't let it go to waste.

**CAMMIE'S POV**

We had documented maybe _half_ of what we found when all of a sudden the door started jiggling and we heard voices on the other side of it.

"I swear I saw two kids sneak in here," one voice said.

"Are you sure? It's still locked." Another voice prodded.

"One hundred percent, it's been a while. Maybe 15 minutes," the first voice said again.

An exhausted and grumpy first voice responded, "Okay, I check it out. Thanks for the tip."

I'd never heard these voices before, and I looked at Grant in gut-wrenching fear hoping he would recognize one of the voices. He shook his head "no" and shot down all of my hopes.

We never talked about what would happen if we got caught! We didn't think we would. I was so sure no one saw us come in, and you could have heard a pin drop in that room. I looked back to Grant, panic stricken.

Suddenly he whispered, "Don't hit me, follow my lead."

Don't hit me? Why would I hit him?

He grabbed my hand, pulled me behind the table closest to the exit we came in through, and dragged me to the ground.

Hide?! That's his best plan? I would so hit him, if he didn't grab me and kiss me a second later.

Now I really could hit him. He knows I like Zach and he starts kissing me?! AND while we're about to be caught on our very first mission! I move to shove him off of me when I realize what he's doing.

Two love-struck teenagers would only sneak into an empty space for one reason: "privacy."

Cursing myself for being an emotional teenage-girl-slash-spy-in-training, I did what he told me and followed his lead. I snaked my arms around his neck and weaved my hands into his hair, using it to pull him closer to me.

I moved to get into a more comfortable position when Grant had the bright idea to pull me into his lap. I heard footsteps coming our way, thankfully, because let me tell you, Grant's kissing was quite distracting. Bex is one luck lady.

As much as I hated to admit it, Grant was a really good kisser. And this cover was genius. I really did owe him one. (I guess it does pay off to have your head in the gutter all the time…)

The footsteps were halfway to where we were, probably because they were actually taking the time to check the whole room. Obviously not a CIA trained hotel manager here.

We pulled apart for a second and we realized… this looked like we had just gotten there, and the hotel worker knew we'd been here for a while. We silently (and quickly) agreed that whatever happened next would be stricken from any and all official records… and would never be mentioned to anyone else.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it next to us.

My mind went completely into overdrive as I knew the hotel manager was about to "find" us… And then my mind went completely blank.

Why did my mind go blank, you ask? It's quite simple.

Grant wrapped one arm around me. _But Cammie, what was his other arm doing?!_ Ha. Ha. Ha. He pushed up my shirt and slid his hand slowly up my side. He pulled me closer and I ran a hand down his impeccably firm abs. No base-running occurred, scout's honor. (Okay, I'm not a scout, but I'm way more qualified than a silly little scout, anyway.) The hand Grant held inside my shirt wasn't doing anything, but to an outsider, it definitely didn't look that way.

The poor hotel manager about had an aneurism upon finding us. "Hey! What are you kids doing in here?! How did you get in?" We stopped playing 'tonsil hockey' as the hotel manager called it, and looked up at him innocently.

I played up the "startled teenager" persona, and just gaped at him, not answering a single question he asked. (Not that I knew what to say, anyway…)

Grant cocked his head to the side. "Her Uncle is staying in one of the rooms here, and we wanted a little more privacy than his room would allow," he said with venom in his voice. I forgot that the people of Auburn had given Blackthorne boys the bad and troublesome stereotype.

But now the only problem was my uncle's supposed room. Joe didn't have a room here!

But then I remembered the comms unit and our tech ops crew that could hear every word we said, and might be able to put it in the database long enough to get us out of there.

I guess I found my voice again when I was able to add, "Yeah, John Sanders. Ninth floor. You can look it up if you don't believe me."

"You children are nothing but trouble. Put your clothes back on and get out of my ballroom. Young lady, I don't want to see you in this hotel again unless your uncle is here to chaperone you." He muttered under his breath about us "hooligans" as ushered us quickly out the back of the hotel, effectively giving us the boot.

As soon as Señor Snob was safely back in the hotel we broke down laughing. Between giggles I managed to say, "That was brilliant! I can't believe he bought it."

Luckily for all involved, I was able to resist saying that Grant's an amazing kisser, his abs are completely amazing, and that I wouldn't mind doing that again. (Did I just think that?...)

We got back to Aunt Abby's apartment and, even though we couldn't stop smiling, we started talking about what happened.

"I gotta give it to you, Grant, that was quick thinking in there." I congratulated Grant.

"Thanks! I didn't want you to think I was going crazy, though. I promise my mind isn't always completely in the gutter."

"No, it was genius. We'd been walking around all day like a happy couple, the last thing I said was 'let's get some privacy,' so I guess it made sense for us to do that. Your whole Blackthorne persona really paid off there, too."

We started playing video games (because, of COURSE Abby has an xbox) and I remembered that one mystifying part of our cover.

"I'm not gonna lie, for a couple seconds back there I was wondering where you were gonna go with that hand," I said as I shot a zombie.

Grant kept slaughtering the zombies on screen, but it took him a minute to realize what I was talking about. He enthusiastically reassured me, "Cam, Zach would chop my balls off if I got to second base with you before he did."

I turned to him, amused and not even caring that my brains just got eaten by a zombie. (In the game! Yeesh people.)

As soon as he processed what he just told me he clapped a hand over his mouth and looked at me in terror. "Please, please don't tell him I said that! I'll die a more painful death than if he chopped me up and put me in a blender."

Somehow, I didn't doubt that those were more Zach's words than his, which only worried me for his safety.

I chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't tell him." Then an evil though dawned on me, "_If_ you tell me what the two of you were talking about last night when you ditched out on the video chat."

I grinned at him knowing that I had trapped him. There was no way for him to escape without at least spilling SOMETHING to me.

"Well… uh… Cammie, it wasn't anything! Just… erm, guy stuff?" He said, but the delivery came across as more of a question.

"Well then I can't promise that your comment won't _accidentally_ come up in a future conversation with Zach. You know… _slip of the tongue._" I grimaced in fake worry.

He looked at me feigning disgust, "You are an evil, manipulative, MAN HATER."

I smiled back sweety, "Flattery will get you no where, Grant."

He rolled his eyes at me, fully expecting every sassy comment I was about to make.

This was going to be a long day.

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><p><strong>Well, that was a long wait... I guess that's what I get for breaking two computers and working three jobs over the summer.<strong>

**I can't promise you anything too soon... but I do have stuff in progress! I love you all, and it would mean the world to me if you could review this!**

**happily, the godsister :)**


	5. Betraying Trust

**This chapter is dedicated to "Cammie is a boss 14" for caring enough to reach out to me about the story :)**

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><p>After many long hours of Chinese water torture, he finally broke down. (JUST KIDDING!)<p>

"Okay look, Cammie… When Zach and I were talking outside…" he started. I could tell that he was really flustered and was trying his very best to betray his best friend's trust. What a guy.

"You need to understand… that guys aren't…" He seemed to be weighing his words carefully," brick walls. We just aren't. We have feelings, even if we are trained to ignore them. Zach is the one person on earth I can completely trust and be myself around. I can go to him for anything, especially a smart-ass remark. But, he's my person anyway. And I'm his person…" He stopped to think for a moment. "I think."

YOU THINK?! How does someone who claims to be someone else's best friend not know if they're that someone else's person? Does he actually know Zach _at all? _

The look on my face must have motivated him to continue, because he went on, "Sometimes I just don't know with him. I feel like I know him, obviously more than most other people do, but I feel like I don't really know him at the same time. Do you know what it's like to question if you actually know your best friend or not? It tears me up inside. I lose sleep over it." Well now I feel like a jerk. "That mask he wears isn't just to annoy you; it isn't just because he's a good spy. He puts his mask on for everyone, even me, the person he claims is his best friend. When I ask him about it he avoids the question, and you know how good he is at doing that.

"Over the years that I've gotten to know him, I've come to the conclusion that the mask is the only thing that can make him feel safe, I just have _no idea_ what he's trying to protect himself from."

I was speechless, something that had been happening a lot lately.

We had abandoned the Xbox long ago and sat on Abby's couch talking. This vent session, heart to heart thing wasn't exactly what I thought I was getting myself into tonight (I'm not very good at this kind of thing, believe it or not). Of course, I could tell that Grant really wanted to talk about this, so I would do my best. It seemed like it had been bothering him for a long time. And, you know, I was genuinely touched that he trusted me enough to share this kind of thing with me.

I finally found my voice, but I still couldn't think of the words I should say. "Grant… I don't know what to say. I'm really sorry, I didn't know…" I was out of words, and what fantastic and deep words they were (note sarcasm), "I'm sorry."

"Oh, God Cam, _I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't have dumped all that on you. This isn't your problem, it's mine. _God, _I'm such a bitch sometimes."

I reassured him that he needn't apologize. "Grant, we're partners on this mission. You know you can trust me, and… We're friends. I'll always be here if you need me. Just think of me as your _other_ person."

Grant looked so touched, it surprised me. He scooted across the couch to give me the warmest bear hug I've ever gotten. He kissed me on my cheek and settled back on his cushion.

Suddenly he started speaking again, "Zach and I just discussed boundaries of the mission and stuff. I promise, that's all we talked about when we ditched the video chat, and yes, I'm owning up to the official ditching of you on your first night here."

I started laughing, "Thank you. I'm gonna need more details, but that'll do for now."

"For now…"Grant echoed under his breath. He was obviously a little disappointed that his answer would shut me up for good.

"When do you have to get back to Blackthorne?" I asked, it was getting pretty late.

"Well for the week, under our official cover, I don't have an official curfew and I'm not even officially required to return to Blackthorne every night. I guess I can go whenever you're sick of me-" I cut him off.

"That was two hours ago…" He scoffed at me with a look of fake disgust.

"WELL THEN. I was _gonna_ suggest that we discuss the events of today's mission, but I can see that you'd rather I leave."

He moved to get up and I grabbed his arm. I apologized for being a cold hearted wench (his words, not mine) and we started talking about the mission.

We wanted to make sure we were prepared should anything like that happen again, and we came up with several cover-ups (half of which all led to us hooking up in some way.) (HEY, we're supposed to be love drunk teens, get over it, weirdos.)

Eventually we started to question how the hell we got caught.

"No, I _know_ no one saw us go in. We entered through a back alley, for Christ's sake."

"Window?" I questioned, wondering if someone could have been watching us through a window.

"Who would look out their window into an alley and see two teenagers and actually give a fuck? Who would look out their window facing an alley to begin with?" He had a point.

"Well, what if we've been compromised?" I asked the question neither one of us wanted the answer to. We sat there in silence mulling over the thought of having screwed up our first official mission within days of starting.

Suddenly the door banged open and Abby and Mr. Solomon walked through. Abby looked super mad at and incredibly amused-looking Mr. Solomon. I wonder what they were talking about.

"Apologize to them, Joe! You owe it to your best friend to at least be straight with his daughter. It's over, it's not going to change anything now, so apologize!" Abby was reaming Mr. Solomon out, and he apparently thought it was a standup comedy act.

Grant and I looked at each other skeptically, what was going on?

A slightly more bummed-looking Mr. Solomon managed to choke out, between chuckles and snickers mind you, that getting caught was a test. He told us that it wouldn't happen again, and that he's making us the best agents we can possibly become, and that we need to treat every situation with the severity we treated that one while we were in it, no exception. He got very teacher-y while still laughing his ass off.

He never actually apologized for it, but Abby seemed satisfied anyway and sent us to my room (obviously, she's not the best at actual parenting). We sat on my bed for a few more moments. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only a few minutes to midnight.

"Clean the slate?" I asked him. Knowing that I was referring to our promise that every day would be a clean slate, we shook hands and put that day behind us just in time for the next day.

"So… I take it I'm supposed to spend the night…" He said, rather unsure of the statement.

"I guess so…" I thought for a moment… where was he supposed to sleep? I heard a weird noise coming from the living room and didn't want to know what Abby and Mr. Solomon were doing out there. "If you promise not to try any funny business I _guess_ you can sleep in my bed…"

Luckily we were both so drained that we crawled into the bed and almost fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

That is, until Grant asked, "So what _were_ Abby and Mr. Solomon doing?"

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><p><strong>Sorry it was so short. Sorry it took so long to update. I suck, I know.<strong>

**Feel free to tell me how much I suck in the reviews, I totally deserve it.**

**I promise, I'm gonna try to update it A LOT more often.**

**love you, and thanks for reading :)**

**xoxo**

**happily, the godsister**


	6. French Toast

**SOLOMON'S POV**

"Look, I'll do my best. I never promised anything, I'm not stupid enough to make promises. I like to learn from other people's mistakes," I said into the phone. Abby was typing viciously into her phone when she gave me the sign saying our mission was a go.

"Joe, you have to do better. You know what it's like, help me out here."

"Oh, shut up, Abby just gave us an all clear. The helicopter lands in two hours, you're going to have to meet me at the landing pad and you're going to have to do the trip with the Duchess alone. She's been briefed on the mission, you've been briefed on the mission, and you're both capable people. I'll see you in two hours."

I hung up. I didn't want to risk Cammie hearing me talk to anyone. She'd get suspicious no matter who I was talking to.

**CAMMIE'S POV**

I woke up the next morning to see Grant passed out on the floor next to my bed. I couldn't remember him getting up at all, so he must have fallen at some point during the night. I decided not to wake him up when I went to make breakfast seeing as I didn't think it was very often that he got to sleep in like this (even if he was sleeping on the floor). And don't worry about breakfast. Luckily for me and many others, I must have inherited my dad's cooking skills, and I was actually a pretty good cook. The official menu for breakfast ended up being French toast, eggs and bacon. (Fun fact: French toast isn't actually French. Neither are French fries.)

Grant finally woke up and popped out of the room while I was cooking the bacon (oooh, shocker), and Abby and Mr. Solomon wandered in some time after I finished with the eggs and they didn't look guilty _at all._

The morning went by so slowly, I was finished with breakfast by seven thirty and headed to go take a shower. I know, I know, I'm not exactly sure how I managed to wake up that early, either. No need to make a big deal out of it.

Naturally my mom (with her perfect timing and all) called me while I was in the shower, so I answered the phone mid-poo. (Judge me. I was not about to miss a call from my mom.) (And that's shampoo… not anything else you might have been thinking of.)

She wanted to apologize for Mr. Solomon's test yesterday. She tried to talk him out of it, but apparently she didn't try hard enough because we all know how convincing she can be when she wants to be. Way to go, mom. Her other bit of information was that the Director gave us the day off to make up for it!

Now, I know what you must be thinking. "Wow, Cammie! A day off during a mission? That must be SWEET!" But I'm going to stop you all there. A day off in the CIA is never really a day off. We simply get to do whatever we want with no planned itinerary. We still have to maintain our covers, and if I get a call on the encrypted phone it'll be back to work immediately and our day to do nothing important will be over before it began.

**GRANT'S POV**

My morning started how a lot of my mornings start: me waking up on the floor after falling out of the bed. Sure, I'm training to be a spy, but I have trouble with small beds. Especially when there are other people in them… Not that that happens a lot. My school is basically a correctional facility minus the convicts.

Thinking about it again, my morning didn't really start like it usually does… I woke up to the smell of frying bacon. Y U M . And judging by the empty bed, it must be Cammie frying the bacon. (Let's just hope that her cooking is better than her mom's. Things like that do get around, even in the CIA.)

We ate as soon as Abby and Solomon wandered into the kitchen looking fifty shades of guilty, and we discovered that Cam is actually a fantastic cook.

We finished eating and as soon as Cammie got in the shower Abby and Solomon turned on me. "Okay, don't try any funny business, mister, we know every interrogation tactic in the book," Abby said pointedly to me. "You and Cam should go kayaking today."

"Okay…?"

Solomon explained what was going on today as I heard Cammie having a full-fledged conversation while in the shower.

I never will understand women.

**CAMMIE'S POV**

I got off the phone with my mom, finished showering and went to go change. I practically bowled Grant over in my towel because he was standing six inches away from the bathroom door when I opened it. (Trust me, I checked.)

"Were you just on the phone? Like, in the shower?" He asked. I sensed some severe judgment coming from him.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?" I replied as I stepped around him to go to my room.

"Uh, nothing.. I just thought we could go kayaking today. Is that okay with you?"

KAYAKING?!  
>"Yes! I'll go get ready!" I jumped at the idea of spending the day on the water.<p>

If it were a normal day on this mission I would have acted like I had trouble getting the kayak into the river. I would have sat down in the kayak and let Grant push me out into the water and waited diligently for him to get out and lead us on our adventure. Of course, this was a day off, and while I was still "Cassie" and I still wore my cutest bikini under a tank top and shorts to impress my wonderful boyfriend, that isn't even close to how the adventure started.

We got to the little beach-like place where we would head out and set the kayaks down on the riverbank.

"Okay, so we should probably go upstream now because it'll be nicer to go downstream on the way back. There's a little island not too far away and I figured we could stop there for lunch."

"I didn't bring food…" I said to him with disappointment.

"I did!" I turned around to see Abby jogging over to us. "I figured you could use some food, and since you didn't pack any I decided to bring it over." She smiled, gave us a thumbs up, handed us food and walked away without another word. Was that thumbs up to me? It seemed more for Grant…

"That was weird…" Grant said. I couldn't agree more.

Just then I got a call on the phone. The phone that is for official mission-related calls only. "This better be a joke," I said through gritted teeth. We hadn't even gotten into the water and I already had a call that was probably telling us to head back and go follow a lead.

I answered the phone with a strained voice, "Hello?"

"Hey Cammie," I heard my godfather's voice, "where are you and Grant going today? Abby forgot to ask when she went by to drop off your lunches." How would he know she didn't ask? I could still see her walking off in the distance.

"Oh, we're just gonna paddle over to the island and have lunch. Grant mentioned a cave… We haven't planned much beyond that."

"Okay, perfect! Have a good time, I'll see you at home." At home? With that he hung up.

Suddenly the adults in my life were cracking up and it had me worried. Why would Mr. Solomon refer to Abby's place as home? And why did he and Abby plan out the lunch drop and phone call?

Come to think of it, Grant had been acting kind of weird too…

"You ready to go?" He asked. I nodded and walked slowly toward my kayak. I turned suddenly to look at him and had a stroke of brilliance.

"Last one there's a rotten egg?" I challenged, but it sounded more like a question to me. He got a competitive glint in his eye and said, "You're on!" We ran to the kayaks and I tripped over a rock. He whipped around to try and help me when I shoved him so he fell into his kayak. I jumped into mine and took off upstream, toward the island.

I didn't have to turn around to hear him yell "CHEATER!" behind me. (Not that my head start helped at all, he smoked me.)

"Hey, Greg?" I asked while we were on our way out. "Why are there so many kayakers out today? It didn't really seem like this was that popular of an activity here." He answered me almost immediately.  
>"Backthorne gave everyone half of the day off so long as they stay close to campus. This counts as close to campus so a lot of guys hit the river whenever they get a chance. That's what I usually do."<p>

I stopped myself from getting my hopes up of seeing anyone I knew today, Grant hadn't talked to anyone since before we decided to go kayaking. No one would know we were coming.

As we pulled up onto land I saw five other kayaks sitting there, but I didn't see the people using them. Grant led us on a pseudo-hike around the island pointing out different flowers and trees then he brought us to the cave for lunch.

"Uh, you can start eating, I gotta go pee." He said as he started out of the cave

"Are you seriously about to go pee in the forest?! That's so gross." I yelled back in disgust.

"Hey! A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do- mother nature calls!" He jogged away and I gave up on him, opening up the lunch Abby had prepared for us. I was a little skeptical when I opened the bag- she is my mother's sister after all. But not to worry, she did a good job (and managed to supply us with store prepared food!)

I heard Grant walk slowly back into the cave after his bathroom break and yelled to him, "Hey Greg! Aunt Abby's food doesn't look like it's going to poison us, not that it's really her food anyway."

He took a minute to answer, and when he did I practically had an aneurism because he sounded exactly like Zach.

"Hey, Gallagher Girl."

I whipped around to reprimand him for referring to my actual school, but I'm pretty sure I had an _actual_ aneurism when I saw Zach standing in front of me instead of Grant.

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><p><strong>Thank you all for the fantastic response! You guys are awesome :) Please keep on reviewing for me!<strong>

**xoxo**

**the godsister**


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